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North
Cyprus Society for the Protection of Birds
(Kuzey Kibris Kuslari ve Dogayi Koruma Dernegi -KUŞKOR) |
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First institutionalised attempts
at the protection of the birds in Northern Cyprus started in 1989, with the
foundation of the North Cyprus Society for the Protection of Birds, NCSPB (or
KUŞKOR).
The association works in close
co-operation with other environmentalist association, especially the local North
Cyprus- Greenpeace Movement for the protection of the natural beauties, the wild
animals, and the endemic birds of Cyprus.
 The association is very active in
organising education panels for the public (especially the hunters, and
schoolchildren), bird watching sessions, dealing with the legal issues
concerning the wild birds, and hunting; NCSPB also has been campaigning very
hard for the restriction of hunting, hunting season, hunting areas, and the
granting of hunting licences.
NCSPB stages public educational
programmes throughout the year in village coffee shops, hunting clubs, sports
clubs, and schools. These programmes, consisting mainly of introduction of birds
and their environment, last year (1994) alone presented to more than 800 people
in over 40 villages, which pleased both the people who listened to the casual
chats and the NCSPB. The results achieved out of these programmes were important
because most of the listeners were hunters.
NCSPB also gives lectures for
the fourth and fifth forms of Primary School pupils, under the supervision of
the Ministry of National Education and Culture. These lectures take place
throughout the first and second term of the academic year, and are on the topics
of wildlife, mainly birds' natural environment (reproduction, digestion,
sheltering, and immigration hazards). Together with these lectures, slide shows
are also given.
The aim of the NCSPB is that
these programmes reach every school in North Cyprus, especially with those
within the hunting regions. The other activities of the association includes
opening art exhibitions with the paintings gathered from pupils at the end of
the academic year. Besides these, bird watching sessions are held at least four
times annually, where books, binoculars, and telescopes are provided by the
association. |
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Birds
Living in North Cyprus |
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 It
is possible to watch 347 different species of bird in Cyprus.
However, only 46 of these are native of Cyprus, and 7 of
these are the endemic sub-species (that is only found in Cyprus). 119
out of the 347 birds that can be observed on the island are
of winter-migrant breeder type, and 90 of these migrate to Cyprus
regularly every winter-time. 29 of these winter-migrants
migrate to the island less regularly than others. Together with the
native Cypriot birds 27 of them migrate to Cyprus for breeding
purposes.
Apart from these, there are 220 other species of birds that use
Cyprus as transit while migrating to other lands. 200 of
these 220 species regularly pass as transit from Cyprus during their
migration season. These are mostly the birds breeding in
Europe, and migrating to Middle East and Africa. There are also birds
that occasionally come to Cyprus by mistake, when they
lose their groups, or their ways. There have so far 51 of this latter
type recorded. |
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How
to Contact KUŞKOR? |
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For more
information on the activities of the society, and about the
endemic birds of Cyprus, contact:
KUŞKOR,
North Cyprus Society for the Protection of Birds,
P.O.Box 634,
Kyrenia, North Cyprus
(via Mersin-10, Turkey)
Main office and the library of the NCSPB:
Ecevit Avenue,
Vakiflar Is Hani,
Kat:2, No.3,
Kyrenia, North Cyprus,
(via Mersin-10, Turkey)
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Suggested
Reading |
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- Flint, P.,
& Stewart, P., (1992), "The Birds of Cyprus",
2nd edition, British Ornithologists Union, Henry Ling Ltd.,
Dorset Press, Dorchester, Dorset, England.
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Related
Links |
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Back
to Green North Cyprus
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